Carlos Miller is founder and publisher of Photography is Not a Crime, which began as a one-man blog in 2007 to document his trial after he was arrested for photographing police during a journalistic assignment.
He is also the author of The Citizen Journalist's Photography Handbook, which can be purchased through Amazon.

Photos Never Lie; Except When They Do

October 17, 2011

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A Facebook post making the rounds is claiming the above photo was taken during the ongoing Occupy Wall Street protests.

However, the photo is actually from a 2007 antiwar protest in Portland.

And it wasn’t even reflective of the entire protest, just a small group of anarchists probably attempting to inflame the crowds.

The Anarchists forced their way to the front of the march, but 3 blocks later they missed a turn and the rest of the march went around them. That’s what happens when you don’t have any leadership! Ha Ha!

My wife was talking to some of the police before the march and was told that, yes, she would get in trouble if she threw a rock at them, sorry. These guys show up at every peacful demonstration and try to make trouble. The Portland PD did a really great job keeping them contained.

Whether you agree with that sign or not, they had every right to carry it. I personally believe it is a little ignorant because the troops were not the ones who started the wars and many just signed up because they had no other way of making a living.

And whether you agree with the Occupy Wall Street movement or not, the activists have made it clear their beef is not with the troops and not even with the cops who have been arresting them.

But like many movements, Occupy Wall Street has been creating divisions among citizens, even to the point where somebody would dust off an old photo in an attempt to discredit the movement.

Considering we’re now a month into the movement, we should expect more divisions and more attempts at manipulating the truth.